Film Tie-In Book Covers

[Michelle]

Does anyone else tend to avoid these, or does it not matter to you? I bought 4 books in WHSmiths the other day, when they had BOGOF - there were two versions of The Reader, but only the film tie-in had the sticker on.. and I was disappointed because I preferred the other.

 

I was also annoyed that not only was Q&A the film tie-in one, but they had actually changed the title as well! For me, that seemed a step too far.. from what I've read, the film and book are quite different, so why not leave the title alone?

 

Apart from that though, I'm not sure why I try to avoid the film covers.. maybe I want people to think that I discovered the book before the film? Which is silly, because quite often I haven't! Or maybe it's just the general idea of not following the crowd, and liking the original?

[chesilbeach]

YES! I avoid them like the plague - in fact, I refuse to buy a book with a movie tie-in cover. I'd rather borrow it from the library or wait until I find an original copy with a different cover. Plus, I always prefer to read the book before I see the film, so if I hear a film is going to be made of a book I was thinking of reading, I will go out and make sure I get a copy before the movie cover of the book is released.

[Michelle]

Have you worked out why you won't buy them though?

[Chrissi]

I do that!

I don't really like these covers, always try to get the "normal" version. Also had that problem with "The Reader", told my friend in Germany to get it for me and she said she could only find the one with the film cover. The only one she could find without was a hardback I think and with that much more expensive. Still not sure which one she bought, she said she'll send it over soon...

I was also looking for another book in Germany that was just made into a film, was very hard to find the paperback version without the fricking film cover

 

Also pees me off when there are BOGOF or 3 for 2 offers and they only do that for the film tie-in ones

 

Oh, what kind of problems we've got...

[chesilbeach]

Have you worked out why you won't buy them though?

I think it's because no matter how good an adaptation the film is, it is not the book, it's a different entity. I want to consider the book for its own merits, and what happens if I read the book and love it, then watch the film and hate it? I'd be stuck with a book which would always remind me of how awful the film was.

 

I also know I'm a bit of a book snob, and I wouldn't want to be seen with a book that other people would only think I was reading because I'd seen the film.

[Nollaig]

[lexiepiper]

Hmm, I'm a bit 50/50 about this, I have the film tie in of The Reader, and also of P.S. I Love You, mostly because I loved the film cover of PS I Love You, and I thought it was nicer than the envelope cover, even though I hate the film adaptation. I'm generally unfussed and will go with what I think looks better, or if the film version is significantly cheaper then I'll go with that, which I've noticed has happened with Slumdog Millionaire is a few pound cheaper on Amazon than Q&A. I hate the new Twilight cover with Bella and Edward on the front, would much rather the original that matches the rest of the set. I'm curious to see if they'll release a movie version of The Time Traveler's Wife, as it's my favourite book, if it's nice I may pick up the movie cover copy so I have both, but we'll see

[Smay]

I guess we're all book snobs.

I do the exact same thing. Sometimes I even get out of hand, that I just need an old version of an old book instead of a newer print.

Long live second hand bookstores!

[MDR124]

I don't know if it is just a snobbish thing. I don't like this commercial things, books published in a new vest just for selling reason: I think a book is something which as to do with the human need to tell stories, to share emotions and knowledge. The need to grow richer and richer is not included I see their reasons but I don't have to follow them

[BookJumper]

I avoid these like the plague also. Movie-tie-in covers are tacky in the way no book cover should be, and tend to make good novels look like cheap trash. *Puts snobby hat on, proudly so*!

[Michelle]

Well, I am fairly 'snobbish' about it, but when there's a BOGOF offer, I can overcome it!

[Loopyloo100]

I just don't think that they look as good generally.

[Ceinwenn]

I have to agree, I think the film-tie-in covers are blatent commercialism & are often no where near as nice as the original covers. I don't avoid them like the plague but given a choice between the two I would chose the non-tie-in one 100% of the time.

[kernow_reader]

I avoid these "movie tie-in" covers too. Not that I would be bothered being seen with one. Just that being a cover-lover I want my books to sport the covers *I* want and that's definitely not a movie tie-in one . . . unless of course it's a Johnny Depp one, of which I own 3

[Kimmy619]

mmm, Johnny Depp!

 

I wouldn't usually go for the movie book cover, but if that was the only one that the shop had, I would still buy it!

[rach.at.the.disco]

I buy them if that's all they have or if they're on offer. I bought Marley and Me and Slumdog Millionaire at the supermarket and all they had was the movie covers. I have some other tie-in's, that's all they had as they had just come out in film, although I would prefer the original cover.

[Rawr]

Yeah, like usually when something is hyped up and such it's much cheaper when it's a film cover thingy, so i buy them if that's the case, then if i like the book a lot, i'll no doubt buy the original or a nicer looking cover later down the line.

[busy91]

I don't care one way or another, as long as the inside is the same.

[Peacefield]

I tend to gravitate toward the non-tie-in covers, but it depends on my desperation level as well as price .

[Nightwish]

I avoid buying books with the film cover as well. I think what annoys me about it is when I have been a fan of a series for ages, and then a film is made. When you walk into a book shop when the film has just been released there are a lot of copies on display of the book with the film cover instead. In a way it seems fake.

 

Also they look really horrible

[Weave]

I prefer the original book covers to the film tie in book covers, always have done.

 

I bought a copy of 'About a Boy' by Nick Hornby with the original cover and the man at the counter said to me, 'wouldn't you prefer the copy with Hugh Grant on the cover?', I just said 'no thanks'

[whitegold]

I try to avoid movie tie-in books. I hate seeing actors on the cover, instead of original artwork. However, I do own some movie tie-ins since they're always WAY cheaper.

[Kimmy619]

I prefer the original book covers to the film tie in book covers, always have done.

 

I bought a copy of 'About a Boy' by Nick Hornby with the original cover and the man at the counter said to me, 'wouldn't you prefer the copy with Hugh Grant on the cover?', I just said 'no thanks'

 

 

Haha - this has happened to me too! Sometimes the people in the shop look a bit shocked that you don't want the cheesy film cover.

[BookBee8]

I do tend to prefer non-movie covers but I'm not totally against it. I do have the Slumdog Millionaire one and my cover of Boy A is from the TV adaptation (but I quite like that cover).

 

I think my main reason for avoiding them is the representation factor. Similar to if I watch a movie before I read the book, then I imagine the characters/locations/etc as shown in the movie, and I prefer to create and imagine them myself from the descriptions. When a book has the actors on the front, then I tend to imagine the characters as the actors, as I tend to look at the front cover quite a lot.

 

Also, I always think the book is seperate from the movie. A movie is merely an adaptation, it'll never be an exact replica, it could never be. So, the book should look different and remain with it's original cover.

 

PLUS, they're usually a lot better. E.g. The Reader.

 

I hate the new Twilight cover with Bella and Edward on the front, would much rather the original that matches the rest of the set.

 

Just think..they'll release a New Moon one with Jacob on the cover.

[Kylie]

I avoid these like the plague also. Movie-tie-in covers are tacky in the way no book cover should be, and tend to make good novels look like cheap trash. *Puts snobby hat on, proudly so*!

 

I agree. I think I have a couple of movie tie-in covers from days past, but I generally avoid them as much as I can. I was looking at Fight Club in a bookshop the other day but decided firmly against buying it because it had one of those awful big circles on the front saying something like 'Now a major film starring Brad Pitt...' And it wasn't a sticker that you can remove!